The Top 5 Cadet Greco-Roman Matches From Akron
The Top 5 Cadet Greco-Roman Matches From Akron
Tim Hands of 5 Point Move runs down the top 5 cadet Greco-Roman matches from the world team trials in Akron, Ohio.
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Tim Hands of 5 Point Move runs down the top 5 cadet Greco-Roman matches from the world team trials in Akron, Ohio.
Another US Cadet World Team Trials is in the books and everyone is pumped up about what these age-groupers could be capable of at the World Championships in Estonia later next month. That, deservedly, is the story for the moment.
But they weren’t the only ones who lit it up in Akron. While a couple of the Trials champs are represented in the list below, there are also a few others involved who flashed some impressive Greco skills. If you haven’t checked these bouts out yet, this is a perfect opportunity to do so and really hone in on a few exceptional performances that definitely hold high entertainment value.
Land Survives Early Scare from Douglass
48 kg Quarterfinal: Cory Land (Ironclad) vs. Sefton Douglass (JET)
It says a lot about the growing depth at UWW Cadet Greco when two studs who can be finalists are forced to mix it up in the quarters, but that’s what happened when eventual Trials champ Cory Land faced ‘18 Fargo 5th Sefton Douglass. Land was hot right from the start, hitting a pretty duck before converting on a follow-up gut. He then went for a reverse lift and hoisted it up -- only to have Douglass re-lock and get a reverse lift of his own that scored four.
From then on, it was a close battle with a few more scoring flurries that showed how advanced these athletes really are. Land held on for the 10-9 win, which obviously was his tightest victory of the tournament.
Headlocks Begin and End Conflicts
51 kg Round of 16: Nate Rubino (MWC) vs. Nick Smith (Ironclad)
Nick Smith didn’t just race out to a 6-0 lead against Nate Rubino, he did so with style by blasting a headlock early in the bout. He kept coming at Rubino and nearly had the match sealed up if not for a takedown that was wiped away from a challenge call.
But Rubino kept his composure. Undaunted, he chipped away and scored on an arm spin that Smith fought and fought until he had no choice but to expose. There were no floodgates that opened to end the thing, however. Instead, Rubino closed the show with the same panache in which Smith began -- by banging a monster headlock.
Let’s Just Throw Each Other
92 kg Semifinal: Tyler Hannah (WI) vs. Kolby Franklin (LAB)
It was a showdown between two ‘18 Fargo champs in the 92-kilo semis as Kolby Franklin and Tyler Hannah squared off in a bout many figured would decide the outright winner of the bracket. Kyle Hass wound up having a say about all that later on. But this match has what you’re looking for. There is no pretense. Hannah and Franklin meet chest to chest throughout with each exhibiting a strong desire to plant one another on their respective domes. Even though Hannah was the one who got his hand raised, Franklin uncorked a toss towards the end of the bout that nearly reversed the outcome.
Decker Wraps It Up with 17 Points
60 kg Final: Parker Decker (Spartan) vs. Tarrell Wallace Jr. (Garage Boyz)
Tarrell Wallace Jr. profiles as a future star, but there’s not much a wrestler can do when the opponent just doesn’t know how to stop scoring. And to Wallace’s credit, it was his own skill why newly-crowned World Team member Parker Decker had to throw the kitchen sink. Decker was about to enter the second period down by a pair when he hit a beautiful trap-arm bodylock to take the lead, though Wallace jumped back ahead soon enough. The curtain dropped on the Floridian with under a minute to go. Decker got on top, trapped the arm, and gutted to victory like every Greco champ should.
The Technical Efficiency of One Joey Cape
60 kg Round of 32: Joey Cape (IRTC) vs. Ian Rudner (MWC)
Not every great match has to be a barnburner. Sometimes, if not all the time, it is important to appreciate a wrestler’s affinity for well-executed classical technique. Here, Joey Cape starts with a two-on-one, transitions to a posterizing lift, and then finishes Ian Rudner off with a dashing arm spin. Cape, who was a runner-up to Decker last year at Fargo, didn’t win this tournament, either, as Wallace Jr. ended his Akron run in the very next round. That’s okay. If he can keep his technique this clean going forward, he’ll do just fine at every level the longer he’s in the sport.
